L’Obel Solar Power System
Why solar power is a necessity today?
We all know solar energy is easy to use as well it has the most power from all renewable energy forms. Just a small fraction of the solar radiation that hits the earth would be sufficient to cover world energy consumption which is free of charge: sunlight costs you nothing. However, not only the quantity is impressive. Solar energy is particularly attractive due to its cleanliness too. There are practically no emissions and no dangerous radiation, so it is wellsuited to tackle current climatic problems. In order to use solar energy, no new and complex technologies are needed that would probably make no contribution to generating energy in the near future, despite intense and costly research. Already today, largely matured technologies are available which allow efficient use of solar energy. Fossil fuels are becoming increasingly scarce and ever more expensive. At the same time, energy demand is continuously increasing, all around the world. We can predict that this will have significant political, economical and ecological consequences. Solar energy can be an efficient instrument to counteract this alarming development. Solar energy will be playing an important role in the energy mix in future as it benefits us, it benefits the environment, and it builds a sustainable future.. Global warming a rising issue, rising energy bills and energy dependence affects all of us. Gradually, people are becoming aware & want to become part of the solution. Solar energy is one of the best ways to make a real contribution to save on Fossil Fuels which are depleting day by day. Governments are announcing subsidies and rebate programs that make solar energy a smart choice – financially as well as environmentally. It’s time to people should understand & adapt solar energy as their moral & social responsibility. It’s time to step into Green Renewable Energy.
Er Chintan Gandhi (093-270-07854) Mail @ lobelpower@gmail.com www.lobelpower.com
L’Obel Solar Power System How Solar Works?
Solar is the cleanest form of energy production, is solid state and has no moving parts, is silent, runs all the time while the sun is shining, needs little or no maintenance and produces no emissions. Photovoltaic means “energy from light”. The word “photo,” is derived from the Greek word for light, and “volt,” a measure of electricity was named after Italian scientist Alessandro Volta. Solar energy systems are composed of PV (photovoltaic) modules or panels, inverters, a digital electric meter that connects to the utility grid, and a performance monitor. •PV modules convert light into DC (direct current) electricity, the same kind of power provided by automotive and flashlight batteries. The DC from the solar PV modules flows to an inverter. •The inverter changes the DC into safe, usable AC (alternating current), like the power supplied by the electric utility. The AC is distributed through the building or home electric panel and flows to outlets, lights and switches for use by refrigerators, air conditioning, computers, printers, etc. The inverter also sends surplus electricity out to the grid through the digital electric meter. •The digital electric meter keeps track of the energy flowing out for credit with the local utility. This credit applies to the electric bill and helps pay down the cost of the solar system. •The performance monitor shows the amount of power the system is actually generating at any time to verify production and return on investment.
Er Chintan Gandhi (093-270-07854) Mail @ lobelpower@gmail.com www.lobelpower.com
L’Obel Solar Power System • What are applications of solar?
Solar Farms: Large scale solar electric power plants are being developed, planned & installed worldwide as an alternative to fossil fuel, or nuclear power generation. These large scale power plants (solar farms) are typically greater than 100 kW in power output and grow in capacity to well over 1 MW & above. Many of the government bodies worldwide understand the importance of solar energy as a renewable & reliable source of energy. Therefore, they have been announcing incentives for solar farm power plants. These initiatives have motivated people to invest more & more in this sector. Commercial Installations: Many companies are investing in generating their own solar power on site, including retail stores, factories, office buildings, residential buildings, and industrial facilities. Solar power helps lower operating costs & evade against rising electricity prices, while reducing overall environmental impact. Widely available government subsidies and continuously decreasing PV module prices is accelerating the growth of commercial solar electric installations all around the world. Building Integrated Photovoltaic’s (BIPV): A small segment, but one of the fastest growing of the solar industry is the integration of photovoltaic (PV) panels into buildings during construction. BIPV replaces traditional building materials such as roofs, window overhangs, and walls with solar panels. BIPV systems can provide savings in materials and electricity costs, and add architectural beauty to the building. Remote Habitation: In many parts of the world, especially in developing nations, people live without access to a utility grid. A large opportunity exists to create small scale PV power systems (200 W - 2 kW), without needing to install traditional power infrastructure. Local, isolated solar systems can generate sufficient power to satisfy basic needs such as domestic lighting, solar lanterns and water pumping. As PV modules continue to decrease in cost the ability to better the lives of large numbers people in remote areas can become a reality.
Er Chintan Gandhi (093-270-07854) Mail @ lobelpower@gmail.com www.lobelpower.com
L’Obel Solar Power System
• What are advantages of Solar Energy?
Solar power generation has emerged as one of the most rapidly growing renewable sources of electricity with several advantages over other forms of electricity generation: Fossil Fuels can be saved & preserved for future: As we all know fossil fuels are diminishing day by day & we need a good alternative for saving it for our future generation. Use of Solar Energy has become a necessity & is a great alternative against fossil fuels. Solar energy production does not require fossil fuels and is therefore less dependent on this limited and expensive natural resource. Although there is variability in the amount and timing of sunlight over the day and throughout the year, but a properly sized and configured solar power production system can be designed to be reliable. Less Impact on Environment: Solar power production generates electricity with a limited impact on the environment as compared to other forms of electricity production, making them one of the cleanest power-generating technologies available. While they're operating, PV systems produce no air pollution, hazardous waste, or noise, and they require no transportable fuels, because of these benefits, PV can play an significant role in justifying environmental problems like these: It is a never ending source of energy & also pollution free Environment-Friendly. Flexible Locations: Solar power production facilities can be installed at the customer site of his choice, which reduces the level of investment required for production and transportation infrastructure.
Er Chintan Gandhi (093-270-07854) Mail @ lobelpower@gmail.com www.lobelpower.com
L’Obel Solar Power System Global Warming: Global Warming is defined as the increase of the average temperature on Earth. Human interference in the natural environment has reached global proportions. The critical environmental changes which are advancing worldwide include climate change, biodiversity loss, soil degradation and freshwater pollution and scarcity. The continuing spread of non-sustainable lifestyles, the persistence of absolute poverty and a growing global population are accelerating these interventions in the natural environment. Thus, environmental degradation has also become a security issue & huge threat to the life on this planet. The new quality of these global human interventions in the Earth System is presenting scientists and politicians with new challenges. As co-creators of God, it is our primordial task to ensure safety and security of our planet. We have to refrain from destroying the earth to its very core for a minute and temporary compensation. We need to care and protect our planet for the sake of our coming generation. We must embark immediately our counter-measures to mitigate the problem. If the source of the problem is mankind, so everyone of us have the moral obligation to do something in pro-this cause. The only way to face environmental problems is to make every human being aware of the moral responsibility of being friendly with the environment! The future generations could be the victims of this. Don’t think one can’t make any difference towards global warming awareness, but you have to start first than rest of others will follow you. Let us all understand it as our moral responsibility & save our earth by using more & more of Solar Energy.
Er Chintan Gandhi (093-270-07854) Mail @ lobelpower@gmail.com www.lobelpower.com
L’Obel Solar Power System
Government Incentives: A growing number of countries have established incentive programs for the development of solar and other renewable energy sources, such as 1. Net metering laws that allow on-grid end users to sell electricity back to the grid at retail prices; 2. Direct subsidies to end users to offset costs of PV equipment and installation charges; 3. Low interest loans for financing solar power systems and tax incentives; and 4. Government standards that mandate minimum usage levels of renewable energy sources & more.
• What is Photovoltaic(PV)?
PV is a term used to describe the process of converting sunlight into electricity with or without any moving parts, noise, pollution or fuel. Photo stems from the Greek ‘phos’, signifying light. ‘Volt’ is named from Alessandro Volta (1745 – 1827), a contributor in the study of electricity. PV is the field of technology and research related to the application of solar cells for energy by converting sunlight directly into electricity.
Er Chintan Gandhi (093-270-07854) Mail @ lobelpower@gmail.com www.lobelpower.com
L’Obel Solar Power System • What is Solar Cell?
A solar cell or photovoltaic cell is a device that converts sunlight directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect. Sometimes the term solar cell is reserved for devices intended specifically to capture energy from sunlight, while the term photovoltaic cell is used when the source is unspecified. Assemblies of cells are used to make solar panels, solar modules, or photovoltaic arrays. Photovoltaic is the field of technology and research related to the application of solar cells in producing electricity for practical use. • How does the photovoltaic cell works?
A solar cell or photovoltaic cell is a device that converts sunlight directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect. PV cells are thin, flat wafers made of materials called semiconductors that are able to conduct, or carry, electricity. Over 90% of the solar cells manufactured today are made from silicon, a semi-conductor, or a semi- metal, that has properties of both a metal and an insulator. One side of the cell is treated with a substance that carries a negative charge (e.g. phosphorous). The other side is treated with a substance that carries a positive charge (e.g. boron). Another layer, this one non-energy conducting, separates the two charges layers. A wire runs from the negatively charged side of the cell to the positively charged side.
Er Chintan Gandhi (093-270-07854) Mail @ lobelpower@gmail.com www.lobelpower.com
L’Obel Solar Power System • Types of Solar Cells?
There are three types of Solar Cell are normally use which is amorphous solar cells, mono-crystalline solar cells, and multicrystalline solar cells. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages that make it suited to specific applications. For the purposes of Solar Power Industries, mono-crystalline & multicrystalline solar cells represent the greatest efficiency for manufacturing and the greatest value to the customer. • Amorphous Solar Cells: An amorphous solar cell is a type of solar cell that is relatively cheap to produce and widely available. They are named so because of their composition at the microscopic scale. Amorphous means "without shape". When the term is applied to solar cells it means that the silicon material that makes up the cell is not highly structured or crystallized. Amorphous cells are made by depositing silicon onto a glass substrate from a reactive gas such as SiH4. This type of solar cell can be applied as a thin film to low cost substrates such as glass or plastic. The panel is formed as one piece and the individual cells are not as visible as in other types. Thin film cells have a number of advantages, including easier deposition and assembly, the ability to be deposited on inexpensive substrates, the ease of mass production, and the high suitability to large applications. Since amorphous silicon cells have no crystal structure at all, their efficiencies are presently between 6 and 8% due to significant internal energy losses. The Lifetime of amorphous cells is shorter than the lifetime of mono & multi crystalline cells. Amorphous cells have current density of up to 15 mA/cm2, and the voltage of the cell without connected load of 0.8 V, which is more compared to crystalline cells. The efficiency of amorphous solar panels is not as high as those made from individual solar cells, although this has improved over recent years to the point where they can be seen as a practical alternative to panels made with crystalline cells. Their great advantage lies in their relatively low cost per Watt of power generated. This can be offset, however, by their lower power density; more panels are needed for the same power output and therefore more space is taken up. Er Chintan Gandhi (093-270-07854) Mail @ lobelpower@gmail.com www.lobelpower.com
L’Obel Solar Power System •Mono Crystalline Solar Cells: A Single crystal is also called “Mono-crystal”. Mono Crystalline ingots/ Single Crystalline ingots are made out of pure solar grade / semi conductor grade silicon which are drawn very slowly from the silicon melt, creating a single (mono) crystal. Mono-crystalline Silicon has a single and continuous crystal lattice structure with practically zero defects or impurities. The internal crystalline structure is completely homogenous, which can be recognized by an even external coloring. The opposite of a single crystal sample is an amorphous structure where the atomic position is limited to short range order only. In this process, a cylindrical ingot of highpurity is formed by pulling a seed crystal from melted polycrystalline silicon chunk. Quasi-squared ingots are prepared into wire saw machines, which are cut into very thin wafers with the help of modern wire-cutting technology. After cleaning and intensive final checks, the mono-crystalline wafers are processed into cells. Physical semiconductor quality of wafer determines the attainable efficiency in the manufacturing of solar cell. Further, these cells are electrically connected and encapsulated as a module. Solar cells are also usually connected in series in modules, creating an additive voltage. Connecting cells in parallel will yield a higher current. Modules are then interconnected, in series or parallel, or both, to create an array with the desired peak DC voltage and current. Mono-crystalline solar cells have been the choice for many years, and are among the oldest, most efficient, and most dependable of technologies. Mono Crystalline silicon is used to manufacture most of electronic devices. With mono-crystalline silicon solar cells, the highest efficiencies are attained. Series produced modules with mono-cells are available with efficiencies of up to 17% & above. The lifespan of a mono-crystalline cell is a minimum of twenty-five years and more, making them a worthwhile investment for long term use. They are the most expensive of the three types but they offer the best efficiency, life span and are the most widely used. Single Er Chintan Gandhi (093-270-07854) Mail @ lobelpower@gmail.com www.lobelpower.com
L’Obel Solar Power System crystal cells tend to be expensive, and because they are cut from cylindrical ingots, they cannot completely cover a module without a substantial waste of refined silicon. Most mono-crystalline panels have uncovered gaps at the corners of four cells. •Multi Crystalline Cells: Multi Crystalline Cells is also called “Poly Crystalline Cells”. Multi Crystalline ingots/ Poly Crystalline ingots are made out of pure solar grade / semi conductor grade silicon the poly-silicon is placed into a crucible, which is put into a furnace. There it is heated to melting point, reaching at very high temperature. The molten liquid is then crystallized into a solid state through the process of cooling from the base up, in which the few remaining impurities rise to the top. This results in a multi-crystalline ingot of extremely pure silicon. The ingots are cut into smaller bricks by highprecision wire saws, which are in turn cut into very thin slices, known as 'wafers'. The thickness of the wafer varies. After cleaning and intensive final checks, the multi-crystalline wafers are processed into cells. Further, these cells are electrically connected and encapsulated as a module. Solar cells are also usually connected in series in modules, creating an additive voltage. Connecting cells in parallel will yield a higher current. Modules are then interconnected, in series or parallel, or both, to create an array with the desired peak DC voltage and current. Multi-crystalline silicon has dominated the photovoltaic market in recent years and with advances in is texturing and the production of increasingly thinner and larger wafers it is set to play a significant role in the future. Typical efficiency of commercially produced crystalline silicon solar cells lies in the range 13-1 6%.Because the efficiency of the cell influences the production cost at all production stages, substantial effort is directed towards efficiency improvement. It is also used in many solar applications. . The lifespan of a multi-crystalline cell is a minimum of twenty-five years and more, making them a worthwhile investment for long term use. Er Chintan Gandhi (093-270-07854) Mail @ lobelpower@gmail.com www.lobelpower.com
L’Obel Solar Power System
• Solar Modules
Solar Modules are also known as “Solar Panels”. Solar Modules transforms the sun's rays into useable electrical energy by means of solar cells. Solar cells are the heart of solar modules & modules are heart of the system. The solar module is comprised of several individual photovoltaic cells connected in series or parallel with a metallic material. The energy produced by a solar module is influenced primarily by the number of cells within a module and how these cells are arranged within the module. Installation of photovoltaic modules or panels is known as a photovoltaic array. Photovoltaic cells typically require protection from the environment. For cost and practicality reasons a number of cells are connected electrically and packaged in a photovoltaic module, while a collection of these modules that are mechanically fastened together, wired, and designed to be a field-installable unit, sometimes with a glass covering and a frame and backing made of metal, plastic or fiberglass, are known as a photovoltaic panel or simply solar panel. A photovoltaic installation typically includes an array of photovoltaic modules or panels, an inverter, batteries (for off grid) and interconnection wiring.
A photovoltaic module is the basic element of each photovoltaic system. A system can be just one module, or thousands. Systems are tailored to meet specific needs, with variations such as battery storage to provide AC or DC power, inverters, connectors and power controls.. It consists of many jointly connected solar cells. According to the solar cell technology we distinguish monocrystalline, polycrystalline and amorphous solar modules. Solar cells are connected and placed between a plate on the bottom and a tempered glass on the top. Placed between the solar cells and the glass there is a thin EVA foil. Solar cells are interconnected with thin contacts on the upper side of the semiconductor material, which can be seen as a metal net on the solar cells. Er Chintan Gandhi (093-270-07854) Mail @ lobelpower@gmail.com www.lobelpower.com
L’Obel Solar Power System The net must be as thin as possible allowing a disturbance free incidence photon stream. Usually a module is framed with an aluminum frame, occasionally with a stainless steel or with a plastic frame.
The size of your photovoltaic system will be dictated by the amount of daily energy required and the amount of energy available at your location. An L’Obel Solar Power System can assist you by performing a detailed analysis and preparing a quotation based on the analysis. Using energy efficiently will reduce the cost of your system.
• Photovoltaic Array
A photovoltaic array is a linked collection of photovoltaic modules, which are in turn made of multiple interconnected solar cells in modules. The cells convert solar energy into direct current electricity via the photovoltaic effect. The power that one module can produce is seldom enough to meet requirements of a home or a business, so the modules are linked together to form an array. Most PV arrays use an inverter to convert the Direct current power produced by the modules into alternating current that can plug into the existing infrastructure to power lights, motors, and other loads. The modules in a PV array are usually first connected in series to obtain the desired voltage; the individual strings are then connected in parallel to allow the system to produce more current. Solar arrays are typically measured by the peak electrical power they produce, in watts, kilowatts, or even megawatts.
Er Chintan Gandhi (093-270-07854) Mail @ lobelpower@gmail.com www.lobelpower.com